2008: Barr Bars Big Mac?

This TAS article by Philip Klein shows that former Georgia Congressman's Bob Barr's decision to run for the presidency by courting Ron Paul's libertarians has nothing to do with a belief he can win.  If Ron Paul ran poorly among GOP activists in the primaries, the idea that any libertarian can win in the fall is risible.  Barr is not that stupid.  As Barr's remarks show, he is simply hopping mad at John McCain, and has little to say about Barack Obama.  Barr is unlikely to raise enough dough to get name recognition sufficient to top Ralph Nader's 2.7 percent of the 2000 vote.  But he could sway his home state, Georgia, whose 15 electoral votes Big Mac sorely needs.  Georgia is 29.38 percent black.  Obama will win at least 28 - 1.  If Georgia blacks turn out at 50 percent higher than their share of the state population, as they did in the N.C. Democratic primary, they will be (assuming whites turn out at their 68 percent share level), 45 percent of the vote, which Obama will win by at least 40 points; at 25 percent over their share they would be 37 percent of turnout (same assumption re other groups), which Obama would win by about 35 points.  Barr thus could well cost the GOP 15 electoral votes come this fall, with his appalling act of vanity and pique.